The Significance of Supporting Characters in Crime Fiction

Summary: Postulates that while the detective is usually the main character in crime fiction stories, supporting characters are equally important. Notes that authors often use supporting characters to reveal bits of information to further the story.

In crime fiction stories, the detective is the main riving force as he or she deciphers through clues and dangerous situations and solves the crime and punishing the wrong doers. However, there would be no reason for the detective to exist of other characters didn't exist, which include the murderer to apprehend, a victim to die or suffer badly, the evil henchmen of the murderer, characters that provide clues and guide our detective to solving the crime and sometimes a love interest to help develop the character of the detective and show s/he isn't a two dimensional characters. The novel `The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender", the movie "The Big Sleep" directed by Howard Hawks and the novel `The Skull Beneath The Skin" by P.D. James have these different types of characters mentioned above, which each as well as...